Device for electrically lighting signals



May 24, 1932. R. MERCIER DEVICE FOR ELEGTRIGALLY LIGHTING SIGNALS Filed April 22, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 GREEN RED WHITE FINE)- May 24, 1932. R. MERCIER DEVICE FOR ELEGTRICALLY LIGHTING SIGNALS Filed April 22, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 e 5 I: V

a 00 Al May 24, 1932. R. MERCIER 1,860,328

DEVICE FOR ELECTRICALLY LIGHTING SIGNALS 5 SheetS-Sheet 5 Filed April 22. 1929 IN VENTOR 1 Patented. May 24,1932

UNITED" T ES Pumice-ICE new MERcInn, or rams, FRANCRASSIGNOR rro nmnmssmnnrs I Eamon, AQQBIOR-ATION or FRANCE 43M, or PARIS,

, nuvrqia ron ELEo'rnIcALLz IIGH'rINq'sIoNALs I p Applicationlille d April 22, 1929, Serial 1%. 357,092, and in rran'ce May 1, 192a;

Light-signals as used in air navigation are generally produced by means of rockets which are fired in a special pistol. Such primitive method requires the use of both hands and a certain amount of care must be exercised for the loading of the-pistol; moreover, as there are three colours oflights, 'viz.: green, red and white,according to the signalto be produced, it is not possible to pre-load the pistol, because any change involves a tediousmanipulation. f 1 h a This invention has for its object an-apparatus whereby the use of light signals may be. easily controlled, while; remedying the above mentioned difliculties. i

A possibleembodiment of such an appara l tus is shown by way 'of example in the appendeddrawings. e l p i a a Figure 1 is a diagrammatic general view. Figures 2, 3 and 4am details of the firing distributor. 1]: I ,y a

' Figures 5, 6 and'7 refer to the rocket holder. 7

1 Figures 8, 9and10-relate to checking means applicable to the apparatusillustrated in the foregoingfigures. a a

The apparatus comprises; essentially a rocketlholder D to be positioned at themost convenient place on the aircraft, said holder beingelectrically connected to a source of current B and to a firingdistributor located within the pilots reach, according to the general arrangement shown in Figure'l. The" firing distributor shown in detail in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 is made, for instancein the form of a cylindrical casing providedwith a ,fiangeior lugsand to match with the remaining instruments on the dashboard. It carries on its front face'a dial fiprovided with a a number ofwindows 7 corresponding to that of the rockets to be fired. The windowsare distributed ina circle and numbered. Each of them is closed'by means ingly numbered shutter. In order to provide .for a better visibility, the shutters may optionally be painted in the colour of the rea: and divided into three groups of four 1 each, viz.; -white,red and green. i i .A central lever, ,8 .provided with-: awfinger ably actuated by fof gravity. At the same the shutter this allowing the shutter to be hung up again. by means otan of a correspond-' position-is more reliable, due tothe current or. pointer 9 and mounted. upon a hollow shaft 10, may be set infront of any one of the windows. The lever is connectedjto one pole of the source of current and is provided at the lower part thereoflwith a brush 11 moving over a circular series of] contacts 12 .carried by the insulating back wall 13 of the casing. Each one of thecontacts corresponds to one window ofthe dial and is electrically connected to the related rocket in the/rocket holder. 1 a i Current. may be sent through therocket primer by means of a switch O included in the wire leadingto the lever 8. V I. i

The lay-out may conveniently be simplified by arranging the switch in the lever of the distributor itself, said switch being prefermeans of a pull rod 14 so as to preclude any untimely firing.

Figure-2 shows a detail viewof such ar-. rangement. 3 V i In their raised positions shutters15 appear in their colours and with their numbers .on the dial, being held .in this position by the spring-loaded finger 16. The pull rod carries a guide 17 adapted to slide in slots '18 formed inthe hollow shaft 10 rigid with the lever 8.

Said

guide carries a plunger contact 19 which may be insulated and is electrically connected to brush 11, anda spring 20 attached to the extremity thereof. wThe cur-.

.rent supplied by the battery is delivered firing current circuit through the engagement of contact 19 with ring 21, while finger i 16 is set free by the action of spring 20 and the shutter 15 swings down under the action time, the'tail 24 of appears in front of a hole 25,

suitable rod lwhen the instrument is re-loaded; lated rockets, same beingtwelve in numb z ,The swinging ofthe shutter into the off" supplied to the rocket holder wherethecomtrol of theshutter isrefl'ectedby the current nected to a' wire 2G itself. For that purpose 4), the shutter hold-up finger 16 is provided on an armature 26; andan electro-magnet 27 rigid with shaft and energized by the firingcurrent is rotated by lever 8 and stops opposite the ar= mature 26 which, on the leased.

y The independentrocket holder consists of an insulatingor non-insulating block or plate 29 of any suitable form which serves a support for screw orbayonet sockets 28 1n to which the rockets are fitted wherefore said rockets have their tips suitably arranged for screw pr bayonet fittings.

,Figs.5 and 6 'show by way of example a form of holder with'bayone't sockets; allof which have a common-contact which.is con-.

30 leading from the source of current; the remaining contacts being connected each througha separate wire'3l to the related contacts "in thefiring distributor.

, The support for the sockets might as well sulation is afforded; i1

be made-of metal, provided the necessary ina Figure 7 shows in cross sectional view a simple form of holder for screw tipped rockets whichhare screwed to one single metal block'or plate 29 providing a common support and contact, and which bear with the central contacts of their tips upon springs 29 connected to wires Elleading from the current distributor. i 1 n In order to preclude untimely shots, the

rockets maybe shielded by means oftubes 33,

' each of which encloses the device for firing and projecting the rocket, and prevents the lire from being accidentally transmitted to the adjacent rockets at the time ofthe firing. In the :device described above, it may pos- V sibly happen that the rocket remains unfired, notwithstanding the current passes through the primer "and the shutter falls; likewise,'*the shutter may happen to accide'nta'lly fall, such fall wronglyindicating in both cases that the rocket was fired.

The checking device according to Figs. 8,- 9

"and 10 avoids the inconveniencementioned.

Its characteristic is based upon thestate of V .the primer. :If the latter is burnt or broken,

the rocketmust be considered as worthless.

If it is sun present,the assumption is that a --misfire 'hasvoccurre'd, and another attemptto the the apparatus will be made. .The arrangement according to Fig. 8' sists in that a lamp or shutter L is connected inseries in the circuit betweenswitch I and battery S. a and designate the rocket" contacts andO the primer; the firing cur; rent 1s switched on,thelamp lights up, or else a shutter is displayed, whenever the circuit is not open, although said current may. have jreleased ithe relatedshutterp An indication isthus'given thatthe rocket is still there Th'e'de vice according tohFig. 9'is a modicurrent flowing, is attracted, thus causing the shutter to be repilot-lamp,

con-

1 i in what manner the same is to be I Idec'lare thatwhat.Iclaimis produced would be 1/10,000 only of the necessary amount, the, heat being to the square oi thecurrent.

Said 1 current influences the .shutter or the which indicates that the rocket has remained unfired; The firing it is then produced by short-circuiting the electromagnet through switch I. There is no longer any indication during the contact however if, on any". account, the rocket should happen to 'remain u1ifired when a'second attempt to effect firing is made, then the annunciator '13 would again indicate whether the circuit for the-primer is ready or not.

Figur'elO" shows a generalization of the same arrangement. I In each wire leading frointhe rockets there'is interposed the set 7 E E E "for the electric control of'the shutter or lamp F F or F corresponding to each rocket, and these wires are led to acorninon point representedin the apparatus by a conducting ring D which is so arranged that, on the lever C engaging said ring, the current is simply switched into' all the circuits and that the shutters of the untouched rockets are all displayed; if desired withthe colour indications relating to theindividual rockets.

A branch circuit leads the current-to contacts B B Bhwhich relate to the difierently coloured rockets, andthe firing is produced on any contact by short-circuiting the resistance through the switchIwhich is connected in shunt between both contacts ofthelever A main shutter V or a lamp may complete proportional c'ationthat the current is emitted through the primer, this being a check-uponthe indicano given by the falling oifthe corresponding shutter, but one lasting so longasthe switch remains closed. Y Q V The last 'described checking device is a self-supporting one as. far'as the indication as to the rockets to be fired is concerned, and it may be substituted for the mechanically or electrically controlled shutters contemplated withreference to Figs. 1 to 7 however, as said last-described device is to operate only at the time otfiring, it will preferably be associated with the first idescribed device which gives apermanent indication as to the state of loading of the rocket holder. I

;I-Iavi ng nowparticularly described and as- 'certained the nature of my said invention and performed,

the operation of a shutter F or. the lighting I. When lever C is the electro-magnet and the a "the-apparatus; which. P vides a definite in cita firing distributor havingfan insulated bottom andfa-circular series of contact studs 1. An apparatus for electrically rockets from a distance, comprising aholder for the rockets; a sourceof elelctric current; i

mounted therein; afcovenfor the distribu tor an electric fir ng circuit" in. which each V rocket is connected, sa d c1rcu1t be1ng connected With saidcurrent source and also with said studs; afsha ftfrotatable infsaid distributor; afsettinglever fixed 11:0 said shaft and adaptedto be moved injront of Windows in U said cover, an insulatinginember carried by the shaft;

acontact fixed tosaid member to move therewith over the contact studs; "a

sPring returnedsIide mounted inguide slots formed in said shaft torotate with the latter-. i l and td'niove longitudinally of and relative I 1y to the shaftindependently of such rotation an insulating member secured to said cover; acontact'ringfixed to the last-named insulating" member and electricallyconnect edvvith the currentfsource; acontact carried by the'slide to engagesaid ringzi vvhen the nection betvveen the slide-carried contact and slide is in one posit onpan electrical con- 7 the' contact carried byfthe first-namedim when the slideis actuated.

' sulating member; tell-tales vpivoted beneathli said indows; and spring-controlledfingers,

supporting thetell-tales and-releg j ethq vided with extensionsthat' underlie said ings," thereby to enable the tell-tales which the casing cover is brovided; vvith open- Q i ings associated with and adjacent to theiwindov'vs; and in which the tell-tales are prorestored to' position: by inserting, a rod through the tensionsl v4. :An apparatus forelectricallyfiring rockr ets fromadistance, comprising a holder for therockets;"a}source of electric current; an

said openingsto act onsaid exelectric firing circuit wherein each rocket is connected a firing distributor providedvvith acontact stud for each rocket, said firing ,cirgcult Hbelngconnected to a said current source and to said studs; a setting lever; a contact? connected thereto and adapted to-be moved into engagement Wlth a selected stud; a tella tale individual to each stud, and in front of the circuit through the :rocket correspond: j

whichsaidlever moves; means'for closing ingito the stud indicated by'the leverymeans i 2. An apparatus for electrically. rockets from a distance, comprising a holder f for the rocketsrasourceofelectric eurrenty acas1ng havingtabotto n oflhsulatmgintm terialanda clrcular serlesjof contact studs mounted 'insaid bottom a cover for said cas-j i an; electric firing-circuitin which each v rocket is connectedg said circuitbeing com I nected with "said current 'source andfwith j said studs; a shaftrotatable insa'id casing;

a settinglever. fixed to said shaftand adapted to be moved in frontlofwindovvsformed v inqsaid cover; an insulating member can ried bysaid shaft; ajcontactcarried by sa d membertomoveoverfthefcontactstuds;a v'spring-returned sli-de mountedin guideslots i ftolmove' longitudinally of and relatively "to a i in saidshafito o te;with thelatter andff' theshar't independently of such rotation an insulating inembe'rflsecured to they casin cover; a contactringfixedbto thelast-name insulating memberan-d electrically connected 1 e by Withsaid current source'yacontact cairied the slide to engagesaid ring when the (slide is in actuatedposition; tell-tales pivot-i ed beneath the] windows in said cover; {pivand the slide-carried QOIltfiQtj-l y e A H 3.An;apparatus accordingfto clal nf2iin atally-mounted, spring-controlled fingers ion I I rsupporting'the tell-tales and acoilelectrb cally 7connecting the contact carried bythe l a q 1 slide with the contact'carried byE-the hafa I hand acting toattract theadjacentfingerwhen 1 "thecircuit isclose'd-between the contact ring for controlling the tell-tale indicated by said lever; and means forcontrolling the'pri ning 

